What is Political Economy?

Political Economy most commonly refers to interdisciplinary studies drawing upon economics,
political science, law, history, sociology and other disciplines in explaining the crucial role of
political factors in determining economic outcomes.

It's more than four hundred year old history includes the works of French Physiocrats, Adam
Smith, David Ricardo and Karl Marx, among others. More recent scholars related to the field of
Political Economy include Robert Keohane, Robert Gilpin, Peter J. Katzenstein, and Stephen
Krasner, aside from a more critical school inspired by Karl Polanyi, Susan Strange and Robert W.
Cox in particular.

Historically, there have been many reasons for adopting a distinctively political economy
perspective in one's analysis of local and global change. Political Economy is concerned with the
interplay between politics, society and economics and it has a long and distinguished history in
the social sciences. Thinkers as diverse as Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, David Ricardo, Karl Marx,
Raya Dunayevskaya, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman have all grounded their work on the
fundamental observation that politics and economics are inherently linked.

Today, there is growing consensus that the separation between the study of politics and
economics is an artificial one and the pendulum is swinging toward an integrated approach.
Further, political economy is an area of study that permits a variety of ideological perspectives
and theoretical paradigms. The academic return to political economy is especially encouraged by
the growing interest in interdisciplinary studies.

However, it is important to note the distinction between the discipline of Political Economy as
described above and a political economy approach which is applied by a variety of disciplines
from different vantage points. For instance, a political economy approach in Sociology is applied
to study the effects of people's involvement in society as members of groups, and how that
changes their ability to function. While Political Science employs Political Economy to focus on
the interaction between institutions and human behaviour, the way in which the former shapes
choices and how the latter change institutional frameworks. Similarly, Anthropology, History,
Economics, Human Geography, Cultural Studies and a whole array of disciplines and
interdisciplinary fields employ political economy approach in a variety of ways.

The Political Economy Programme at AU reflects both the rich traditions of the discipline of
Political Economy and introduces students to the diverse applications of the political economy
approaches.

Why study Political Economy?

Although the study of political economy has a long and proud history, its importance has grown
over the past several decades. Recent developments such as the dramatic changes in the price of
oil and other minerals, currency value fluctuations, the impact of regional and international trade
agreements (such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)), as well as the shifting dynamics within major international groups such as
the G-8 and the G-20, have initiated some of the most profound changes in Canadian political and
economic governance since Confederation.
At the global level, the impact of the financial crisis of 2008, growth slow-downs in all major
industrialized countries of the world, the economic rise of China and India, and the challenges of
regulating international flows of people, goods, funds, and technology, have fuelled an increasing
interest in international political economy. The consequences and challenges posed by the
subsequent restructuring will have to be researched and studied for years to come. The Political
Economy degree program offers students these opportunities by introducing you to this
fascinating field.

Additionally, transformations wrought by globalization as well as the new information and

communications technologies (ICTs) make it vitally important that students understand both
local political and economic relations and their connections to global change. Thus, the Athabasca
University degree program in Political Economy is designed to provide students the knowledge
and practical skills necessary to meet the profound challenges of the 21st century.

Follow the links below and to the left to find out more information about the study of Political
Economy and the Bachelor of Arts degrees available through Athabasca University.

Intellectual and Employment Benefits

Knowledge and Critical Thinking Skills

In addition to the high standards of the University, students of Political Economy at Athabasca
University will benefit from the intellectual and practical experiences structured into the
program. Students completing the program will acquire or further develop their knowledge base
and skills.

• Students will be encouraged to develop both depth and breadth of knowledge in the
area of Political Economy, as well as overall critical thinking skills.

• Students will acquire generalist and specialist knowledge of the theories of Political
Economy.

• They will be able to critically access challenges that are transforming the public and
corporate sector as well as civil society and the local and global levels.

• They will develop a working knowledge of local and global political and economic
ideas, practices, policies, processes and institutions.

• They will come to understand the dynamics and needs of a globalized and increasingly
knowledge-based society and economy.

• Successful graduates will be able to compete successfully and confidently in world class
organizations.

• Graduates will develop effective skills for leadership in government, the private sector
or non-profit and voluntary sector.

Anthropology

Anthropology in its broadest sense is the study of what it is to be human. Anthropology differs
from all other disciplines that study human beings because it is holistic, historic, global and
comparative. Anthropologists study the cultures, social organization, languages, and
environmental relationships of societies and populations around the globe, and their physical and
genetic diversity. Anthropology also examines the evidence gained through archaeology to learn
about peoples of the past, and our primate relatives to help understand both our human
uniqueness and our similarity with other primates.

Anthropology at AU advocates a four-field approach: archaeology, biological anthropology, socio-

cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. Our faculty strengths and the majority of
course offerings currently lie in the first three of these sub-disciplines; however, we also offer an
introductory course in linguistic anthropology. Archaeologists are interested in reconstructing
the lifeways of ancient peoples through documentation and analysis of the material remains left
behind. Biological anthropology focuses on our biological diversity and evolution. Sociocultural
anthropology explores and explains the social and cultural diversity of the present and the recent
past. Finally, linguistic anthropologists study the history, structure and function of language.

Sociology

Welcome to Sociology at Athabasca University. Athabasca is a fully accredited university,

participates in Prior Learning Assessment transfer credit (meaning you can transfer your credits
from another university to us, or transfer courses you take from us to another university), and
offers prospective students individual courses in Sociology, as well as both three year and four
year Bachelor of Arts programs. A certificate for psychologists, counselors, and others working in
the human services is being planned.

Sociology helps you both understand and change the world you live in. The main goal of studying
Sociology at Athabasca University is to develop your understanding of the social, political, and
economic realities of this world. Sociology students at Athabasca University delve deeply into
topics like power, inequality, racism, the family, aging, crime, deviance and globalization.
Sociology at Athabasca offers critical and insightful perspectives on the changing world we live.
Sociology helps us understand why, for example, obesity, eating disorders, and depression are
such rampant problems in our modern world. Sociology also helps us understand social class,
inequality, and the impact of poverty on the individual, family, and society. Browse our course
offerings for an idea of the sorts of topics that the discipline of Sociology deals with.

Anybody can take a Sociology course and everybody should take at least a few. Sociology courses
deepen your understanding of the world and empower you to change the things that need
changing. Sociology courses are useful to all individuals but are especially relevant for those who
work in management, human resource development, marketing, education, nursing, local
government, non-government organizations, social work, counseling, law enforcement, urban
planning, community development, and family and community services.